Water heater and cabinet construction



- March 18, 1958 A. J. LAMPERT ETAL 2,827,021

WATER HEATER AND CABINET CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 10, 1950 lllllllllllllllflmun ALBERT J. LAMPERT, JOHN J. CARLSON,

INVENTORS.

HU'ENER,'BEEHLER, WORREL,

HERZ/G 8 CALDWELL,

A 7' TORNEVS.

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A rg mulil Unite WATER HEATER AND CABINET CONSTRUCTION Application February 10, 1950, Serial No. 143,412

2 Claims. (Cl. 122-13) Our invention relates to storage type hot water heaters and has particular reference'to the details of construction of a cabinet of what is known as a table .top :water heater, i. e., a water heater having a flat topsubstantially at table height.

Such water heaters are usuallyformed witha rectangular orsquare cabinet so that they blend into and become a part of a kitchen cabinet structure. In such'event, it is necessary that the back of the cabinet of the water heater fit flush against the .Wall of theroom in which the heater is placed, thereby rendering access to supply and delivery pipes, gas pipes, and/or electrical conduits exceedingly awkward and difliculti- It is one ofthe objects-of our invention to provide a cabinet having one or more-channels in the back thereof to permit installation-flushagainst a wall and having a removable top -topermit easy access to the connecting pipesandconduits while the cabinet rests flush against the wall.

It is a. further object of our invention to provide a cabinet construction wherein the top is readily removable by sliding horizontally to permit ready and easy accesstosupply pipes and conduits either for purposes of repair or installation,

In all storage-type-water heaters some access is necessary tothe heater tank inorder to properly maintain and operate the water heater.

Prior heaters have usually been-provided with a hinged door-through one-of 'the panels' of the cover, preferably the-front panel thereof, so that the water heaterican fit into a recess if desired. The panels of the cabinet are usually formed for the sake of economy of relatively lightgauge material and hinging doors to such light-gauge material but presents production dimculties and frequently results in failure during the use because the light-gauge material will not adequately support the door.

We have designed a table-top water heater having access apertures in the front thereof and a false panel adapted to cover the front of the water heater in order to completely conceal the access apertures, which said false panel is easily removable and is held in place by means of resilient spring clips.

Other and further objects and advantages will become apparent from the drawings and the specifications relative thereto.

in the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view taken from the rear of a table top Water heater embodying the principles of our invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view having the top panel and insulation removed for the sake of clarity.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 44 of Figure 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, we have illustrated a Water heater having a base 10, side panels 2,827,021 Patented Mar. 18, 1958 11.and.12, front panel 13 and aback panel 14:assembled into a substantially rectangularbox-likestructure adapted to contain a storage tank 15, and having insulation 16 contained therein between the panels and the storage tank15.

The base 10 comprises a plurality of channel members such as 18 and 19 formed in a substantially rectangular shape and having a base. plate 20 resting thereon, upon which the tank 15.is adapted to rest.

The sidepanels are each formed with an inturned flange 22 along the rear vertical edge. The back panel 14 is secured thereto by means of any suitable fastening device such as sheet metal screws or bolts 23, or may be spot Welded if desired.

Theback panel 14 is formed with one or more external vertical grooves or channels 25, which have direct verticalaccess to the floor on which the heater rests. In thiswaywater pipes 26 and 27, which extend vertically upward from'the floor, are automatically accommodated whenthe heater is moved horizontally over the floor until the panel 14is flush against a wall. Without the channels 25;thepanel 14 could not be positioned against the WaIh and-if the pipes 26 and 27 were to be accommodated within the panel 14, it would benecessary to lift the heater up and over the ends of the pipes before loweri'ng it down withthe panel 14 against the walljthis would be an extremely diflicult installation job.

Aretainer stiffener plate 28 is secured in a horizontal position to the upper edge of the panel. 14 byjmeans of a flange 29 and sheet metal screws or bolts 30. The-retainer 28 acts to retain the insulation 16in place and also to stiffen the panel 14.

The upper edge of each of the side panels -11and12 isformed With'inturned flanges such as-33 and have an upwardly and outwardly turned lip 34 to define a-ch'annel.

A removable top 35 having depending peripheral flanges 36 is adapted to enclose the top of-the water heater. The depending peripheral flanges 36 are formed with inwardly turned flanges 37 adapted,'at the sides',-to slidably engage the-channels definedby the flanges 33 and the lip 34, so that thetop 35 after installation of the heater and connection of the water pipe'and other conduit, can be-slid into place-into abutment against the wall to make a completely enclosed unit.

it will be noted from Figure 4 that the top 35 has an overhanging lip 35a. A bracket 35b is secured to the return flange of such overhanging lip by such suitable means as spot welding. The bracket 35b is then removably secured to the front panel 33 by sheet metal screw 35c to securely retain the top in place.

The water tank 15 is formed with a drain valve 46 and if electric may be provided with other control and regulating devices as heating elements and control switches 41. The heating elements (inside the tank) are connected to an electrical power source by wires 410:, connected through conduit 41]) and junction box 41c.

The front panel 13 is formed with an aperture 42 to permit access to the drain valve 40 and a similar aperture to permit access to the controls 41.

The panel 13 is also formed with relatively smaller apertures 44 spaced and positioned as may be desired and adapted to receive in cooperating resilient spring slips 45.

A false front panel 46 is adapted to overlie the panel 13 to cover the aperture 42, the aperture for access of controls 41 and the bracket 35b and screw 35c and is secured in place by means of the resilient clips 45 which are secured thereto by means of spot welding or other suitable means. It is therefore apparent that a neat-appearing, substantial front is provided which is readily removable for access to the controls or other maintenance mitting the conduits 26 and 27 to passlupwardly through the grooves or channels 25 so that connection thereof to the Water tank is relatively. simple, and that the connecting pipe and other conduits may be readily hidden from view by sliding the top 35 into position.

We contemplate the .use of, such insulation 16 as fibre glass which will retain itself in position .evenaround the access apertures such as 42.. In the,eventother types of insulation are used some retainer wall will be necessary to prevent spillage of the material from such access openings.

. Whereas the drawings'illustrateland, the specifications describe a water heater adapted for use with electrical energy to heat the water, the principles; of our invention can be adapted and applied equally. well to gas fired water heaters. The principal feature of; our invention as we conceive it is' the combination of a water heater and cabinet construction havinga cabinet substantially rectangular in shape adapted for installation flush against -a wall and being provided with verticalchannels in the back panel thereof to permit the upward passage of supply conduits for. making necessary connections in the, top and a slidably removable top panel adapted to be easily removed for access to the interior of the cabinet in order to make the necessary connections. vSuch an invention is equally applicable to both electrical and gas fired water heaters.

While we have herein shown and described our inven tion in what we have conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefromwithin the scope of our invention, which is not to be limited to the details dis:

1. A cabinet adapted to be placed on a hoot flush against the wall of a room and to contain a household appliance, said cabinet having a substantially flat back panel for flush installation against said wall, the exterior surface of said panel being formed with at least one vertical channel or groove having direct vertical access to the floor and adapted to receive service conduits for the appliance, a removable, substantially flat top on said cabinet, said top being disposed in a horizontal plane substantially above said appliance and substantially above the top edge of said back panel whereby said conduits may be disposed within said channel and underneath said top in the region between said top and said appliance.

2. A water tank cabinetadapted to be placed on a iioor flush against the wall of a room and to contain a water storage tank, said cabinet having a substantially flat back panel for installation flush ,ag'ai'nst'said wall, the upper edge of said panel lying in aplane substantially even with the top of said tank, the exterior of said panel being formed with at least one vertical channel or grooveextending the full height of said panel and adapted to receive a water pipe connectible to said-tank, a substantially flat top for said cabinet removably mounted thereon, the undersurface of said top being disposed substantially above the. top of saidtank and the upper edge of said back panel, thereby providing a region through which said pipe may be led in communication from the top of 'said channel horizontally to said tank, and means removably securing said top, to said cabinet.

References Cited the file of thispatent UNITED STATESPATENTS 1,202,222 Quinn Oct. 24, 1916 1,239,307 Schmid Sept. 4, 1917 1,582,881 Kraemer Apr. 27, 1926 1,729,475 .Brainard Sept. 24, 1929 1,799,744 Gruber Apr. 7, 1931 1,810,887 Sponar ,June 16, 1931 1,946,029 Midnight Feb. 6, 1934 2,010,924 McCormack et al Aug.. 13, 1935 2,043,540 'Hazeltine June 9, 1936 2,102,094 Romig Dec. 14, 1937 2,112,655 Morrow Mar. 29, 1938 2,116,133 Allen May 3, 1938 2,223,769 Morrow -Q. Dec. 3,1940 2,227,150 Olston Dec. 31, 1940 2,240,904. Groeniger May 6, 1941 2,243,249 Craig May 27, 1941 2,400,215 Smellie May 14, 1946 2,489,245 Sola Nov. 22, 1949 

